1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibration damping support mechanism for a recorded data reproducing apparatus for playback of data recorded on a data recording medium such as a CD.
2. Prior Art
Recorded data reproducing apparatuses, e.g. home CD players, are substantially designed for use in a horizontal position. However, a car CD player is limited to the size which should be accommodated in a narrow, given space of the interior or trunk room of the car. More particularly, its construction is determined to set in a vertical or horizontal position depending on the shape of an available installation area and the relation to other components. To this end, car CD players or recorded data reproducing apparatuses are required to offer the freedom of installation.
We, the inventors, developed a number of CD players capable of being installed in either a horizontal or vertical position and also, performing an optimum data pickup action in its position. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 1-109666 (1989), one of the PG,4 invented car CD players is for example illustrated in FIG. 1 where a support frame 1 is suspended by a floating suspension system in an outer casing 2. The floating suspension system comprises four dampers 2a.sub.1 to 2a.sub.4 filled with a viscous fluid, e.g. silicon oil, and fixedly mounted to the four inside corners of the outer casing 2 and four support bars 2b.sub.1 to 2b.sub.4 inserted at one end to their respective dampers 2a.sub.1 to 2a.sub.4. The other ends of the support bars 2b.sub.1 to 2b.sub.4 are mounted to four support plates 1a.sub.1 to 1a.sub.4 respectively which are fixedly attached to the support frame 1.
The support frame 1 contains a magazine 3 which has a plurality of trays placed one over the other and serves as a disk changer for replacement of a disk by advancing a selected one of the trays to a pickup station. In action, the selected tray 3b.sub.n carrying a desired disk 3a.sub.n is moved out by a given kickout mechanism to a playback position shown in FIG. 1. The disk 3a.sub.n is then held at the position by a clamper (not shown) and its recorded data is read out with a pickup 3c for playback.
In addition, a vibration damping mechanism 4 is provided between the outer side of the support frame 1 and the inner side of the outer casing 2. The vibration damping mechanism 4 comprises four damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 mounted at one end to the outer side of the support frame 1 and at the other end to the inner side of the outer casing 2. More particularly, the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 are pivotably fitted at lower end to four pivot pins 4b.sub.1 to 4b.sub.4 respectively mounted on the outer side of the support frame 1 and at upper ends to projecting portions 4j.sub.1 to 4j.sub.4 of four rotary plates 4c.sub.1 to 4c.sub.4 respectively mounted to the inner side of the outer casing 2.
The rotary plate 4c.sub.2 is mounted by a pivot pin 4d.sub.2 to the inner side of the outer casing 2 for rotating movement. The rotary plate 4c.sub.2 has two arcuate slots 4e.sub.2 and 4f.sub.2 arranged therein symmetrical about the pivot pin 4d.sub.2, each slot extending through 90 degrees. The two arcuate slots 4e.sub.2, 4f.sub.2 are adapted to engage with a pair of guide pins 4g.sub.2 and 4h.sub.2 fixedly mounted to the inner side of the outer casing 2. The other three rotary plates 4c.sub.1, 4c.sub.3, 4c.sub.4 are constructed in the same manner.
As the CD player is placed in a horizontal position, the projecting portions 4j.sub.1 to 4j.sub.4 of the rotary plates 4c.sub.1 to 4c.sub.4 come upward and the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 extend almost vertically so that the support frame 1 is suspended by the outer casing 2. During the running of a vehicle carrying the CD payer, resultant upward and downward stress caused by vibration or shaking will be absorbed by the elastic action of the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4, thus hardly affecting the support frame 1.
When the CD player is shifted from its horizontal position to a vertical position, the four rotary plates 4c.sub.1 to 4c.sub.4 are turned 90 degrees in the same direction so that the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 extend depthwisely of the outer casing 2. As the result, the support frame 1 can be suspended upright in the outer casing 2 placed vertically. During running, external stress resulting from vibration and shaking will also be absorbed by the elastic actions of the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 thus hardly acting on the support frame 1.
The car CD player can be placed in either a horizontal or vertical position after the tensioning direction of the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 is adjusted by turning their respective rotary plates 4c.sub.1 to 4c.sub.4. Accordingly, the installation of the CD player will arbitrarily be determined depending on an applicable space in the interior of a car. However, the disadvantage is that all the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 have to be manually reset to extend in one direction whenever the CD player is shifted from one position to the other.
The turning of the rotary plates 4c.sub.1 to 4c.sub.4 for resetting the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 in a given direction is a troublesome task. It may hence happen that the CD player is placed to a desired position while one or more of the rotary plates, e.g. 4c.sub.1 to 4c.sub.4 shown in FIG. 1, remain unturned in the original position. Also, after the installation, it will be hard to examine whether the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 are correctly reset to extend in the same direction.
If any of the damper springs 4a.sub.1 to 4a.sub.4 is placed in a different direction, external stress resulting from vibration or shaking during running will not effectively be absorbed but transmitted through the dampers 2a.sub.1 to 2a.sub.4 to the support frame 1 which, in turn, starts vibrating. This will result in functional deterioration of the dampers 2a.sub.1 to 2a.sub.4 and cause a disk loading and a playback mechanism of the magazine 3, including the pickup 3c, contained in the support frame 1 to perform faulty actions or become defective.